US2538456A

US2538456A - Protective guard attachment for band saws

Info

Publication number: US2538456A
Application number: US97624A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Charles E Howe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-06-07
Filing date: 1949-06-07
Publication date: 1951-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1968-01-16

Description

Jan. 16, 1951 c. E. HOWE, JR

PROTECTIVE GUARD ATTACHMENT FOR BAND SAWS Filed June 7, 1949 Fllli Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED, STATES} M";

asses Pr ce PROTECTIVEGUARD ATTACHMENT FOR BAND SAWS l Char1es E.Howe, Jr; Columbus, Ohio Application June 7, 1949, Serial No. 97,624

The present invention deals broadly with safety devices, and more specifically with protec- :tive guards of the type employed in connection of which is exposed and lies between a base table and the u per saw head whereby the material to be sawed or cut may be passed transversely of the saw blade between-the table and'the head of the saw frame to be cut by'the continuous travel of the endless blade member.

Also, it is usual in band saw construction'to provide a'longitudinally sliding supporting and guiding armfor the exposed segment of the bladewhich is adjustable longitudinally of the exposed segment so as to provide a support for the exposed segment of the blade during cutting operations. Due to the movable or adjustable nature of'the supporting arm structure and the normalvertical disposi tion of the continuously moving saw blade, it has been extremely difiicult to efiectively shield .the

exposed blade segment in a manner which-would insure against inadvertent, contact between the :blade and the hands of the person operating the saw without interfering with the overall operationof the saw. It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a protective guard device for band saws which insures against any accidental contact-between the hands of a person operating the saw and the saw blade, and which at the same time permits the saw to operate at its normal efficiency without interference by the elements of' the guard attachment. L 7 It is another object of'this invention to provide a protective guard attachment for band saws of the type having an endless blade member with an exposed cutting segment and a blade-supporting and guiding arm or frame which is adjustable longitudinally of the exposed cutting segment of the blade to afiord support thereto duringcutting operations, and wherein the protective guard device comprises a substantially U-shaped shield member for attachment to the adjustable armin surrounding relation to that portion of the exposed segment of the blade which lies immediately adjacent to the guide arm, and which pivotally supports a pair of guard plates on; either 4 Claims. (01. 143-159) side which are arranged in depending relation to the U-shaped shield so as to normally surround that portion of the exposed blade segment which lies below the guide arm of the saw, provision being made for the movement of the guard plates during cutting operations from a depending normally protective position to a position parallel to the work passing through the saw blade, and thereafter to its depending position of protection.

For a further and more detailed understanding of the present invention and the various additional objects andadvantages realized therefrom,

reference is made to the following description andthe accompanying drawing, whereinz' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of theupper portion of a band saw upon which is installed a protective guard device formedin accordance witht e present invention; v.

--Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through the band saw and protective guard device along the plane of the saw blade, and showing in broken lines the various positions assumed by the present guard device during a cutting operation;

26 Fig. 3 is a side elevational view with the table portion of the band saw in vertical section looking toward the cutting edge of the saw blade; and

Fig. 4 is a detailed horizontal sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the line l-A of Fig. 2. j

Referringnow to the drawing, the numeral 5 generally; designates a band saw; which, in the usual manner, is provided with an upper head portion 6," a base portion 1, an interconnecting tubular shaft 8, a work-supporting table 9, an endless flexible saw blade I!) which is trained about guide wheels or pulleys, not shown, which are respectively housed within the upper head portion 6 and lower base portion 1 of the saw,

and which support and guide the saw blade l0 for continuousdriven movement in, the manner of a continuous belt, Additionally, the band saw 5 is provided ith-a vertically-adjustable bladesupporting andguiding arm H whichis suitably the rear edge portion of the cutting blade Ill during cutting operations. The arm ll maybe adjusted vertically between thehead nortiornfi regard to design or constructional features may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention 01 the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

, 1. A protective guard attachment for band saws of the type having a continuous flexible saw blade with an exposed cutting segment and a blade-supporting and guiding member arranged adjacent and parallel to the exposed segment of said blade and movable longitudinally thereof, said attachment comprising an elongated generally U-shaped bracket for attachment to the blade-supporting and guiding member of a band saw in surrounding relation to the segment of the saw blade adjacent said guiding member, said bracket member being provided with a transverse projection having a, pin-receiving opening therethrough; a headed pivot pin carried by said projection and extending outwardly on either side thereof; and a pair of spaced parallel guard plates formed with diagonally disposed slots receiving the ends of said pivot pin and carried by said pin for pivotal swinging and rotational movement in planes parallel to the exposed segment of said saw blade, the diagonal slots formed in said guard plates providing for a normally offcenter support of said plates in depending relation to said bracket member whereby to normally ing cutting operations, said attachment comprising an elongated U-shaped bracket member for attachment to the arm of said saw in surrounding relation to the segment of the saw blade disposed immediately adjacent to said arm, said bracket member when so attached serving to enclose only that portion of the saw blade which lies immediately adjacent to the arm of said saw in any position of adjustment of the latter; a pair of spaced parallel guard plates disposed on eitherside of said bracket member in depending relation thereto; and means pivotally connecting said guard plates with said bracket member and providing for 360 rotational movement of said plates in planes parallel to said bracket member and to the remaining exposed portion of the saw blade.

3. A protective guard for band saws of the type having an endless saw blade provided with a normally exposed cutting segment and a bladesupporting and guiding arm arranged adjacent to the exposed blade segment and adjustable lonitudinally thereof, said guard comprising an elongated U-shaped shield member connected with said arm and extending laterally outwardly therefrom around the portion of the saw blade disposed adjacent to said arm, a pair of spaced parallel guard plates arranged on either side of said shield member in depending relation thereto; and means pivotally connecting said guard plates to said shield member for swinging movement on either side of the exposed cutting segment of said saw blade, said guard plates'being arranged to normally hang from said shield member in enclosing relation to the exposed segment of said saw blade and to rotate relative to said shield member and saw blade during the passage of a workpiece across said blade.

4. A protective guard for band saws of the type having an endless saw blade provided with a normally exposed cutting segment and a blade-supporting and guiding arm arranged adjacent to the exposed blade segment and adjustable 1ongitudinally thereof, said guard comprising an elongated U-shaped shield member connected with said arm and extending in laterally offset relation thereto and surrounding the portion of the saw blade disposed adjacent to said arm, a pair of spaced parallel guard plates disposed in depending relation to one end of said shield member and extending downwardly on either side thereof, and means connecting said guard plates to said shield member and providing for rotational movement of said guard plates with respect to said shield member and the exposed cutting segment of said saw blade, said last named means serving to normally maintain said guard plates in spaced parallel relation on either side of the exposed cutting segment of said saw blade and to permit said guard plates to swing to perpendicular positions with respect to said saw blade during passage of a workpiece across said blade.

CHARLES E. HOWE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number